IBS and feeling so low. Can it get better?

[CanINapNow2]

I am feeling awful. Recently diagnosed with IBS. In the middle of a horrendous flare up. Diarrhoea every day, sometimes multiple. Certainly first thing every morning. Cramps and gas and feeling awful and so anxious. Some days I vomit. All whilst looking after DC2. I seem to be getting worse and worse and I am just despairing. Have had all the blood tests and stool tests to rule other things out. I had a Colonoscopy two weeks ago and it came back clear (including the biopsies). I’ve done two weeks gluten free and two weeks dairy free, no change. This has all been going on since October…I feel like my life is over.

Started last friday on a new plan: two sachets a day of Questran Lite (colestyramine), two probiotic tablets everyday, electrolytes everyday, have cut out onion, garlic, caffeine, fizzy drinks and artificial sweeteners. Generally just eating very plainly. Only drinking water and peppermint tea. Taking Buscopan a couple of times a day. I know these things can make you worse before you get better…has anyone found that?

I felt a bit better yesterday but feel awful today and it’s really got me down. It’s so bloody hard with a toddler and I just want to enjoy him!! Feel like life is just over for me now.

Can anyone offer any positivity/advice please???

I am paying to see the private Gastroenterologist who did my colonoscopy on Tuesday to ask for advice and I will ask about SIBO as think maybe I have that?

That sounds awful OP, poor you, especially with a little one to look after.

My DH used to have bad IBS flare ups quite often- sometimes he would spend hours bent over in the bedroom with cramps and diahorrea.He also had a colonoscopy in the end at one point as it was impacting life alot, which came back clear luckily.

However to give you hope, it has been MUCH better the last couple of years or so, and he very rarely has any significant flare ups now.
He has changed some aspects of his lifestyle which may or may not have contributed to the change;

-Lost weight and eats smaller portions at a time (he wasn't really overweight but says even losing about a stone has helped) obviously may not be applicable to you to need to do so though

• Regular exercise, going to the gym once a week
• Cutting out/cutting down on all the trigger foods which for him are Eggs, Processed meats, Pepper, Onions, Garlic, Beans.Interestingly, it was worse when we did more cooking from scratch, I think because most recipes have onion or garlic in maybe.
• Trying to reduce stress as this went straight to his stomach!
• Taking a medication called 'membervarine' to help lessen the flare ups.

I really hope you manage to find a solution soon that helps!

If you can face a pretty restrictive diet (someone above mentioned low carb) take a look at Nick Norwitz on YOuTUbe. He is a doctor and researcher who also had really bad IBD/IBS but resolved it through diet.

I was going to suggest SIBO, and they’ll test you privately. If it is that, there is treatment, along with lifestyle changes - prokinetics (ginger and artichoke) magnesium every night before bed, probiotics like symptoms every morning.

Im trying Elixa probiotics again, as I remember feeling massively better after a course of that pr-kids

Thank you so much this is so kind, reassuring and helpful! I actually read about Mebeverine when doing some googling earlier today, definitely going to investigate it!

Really no idea on my trigger foods yet but keeping a diary so hopefully it will become clear.

Oh thank you I will definitely take a look! I’m happy to do any diet at this point to be honest

Thank you, all really helpful.

Have a look at Dr Hagmeyer on YouTube or online, he has so much info on stomach issues and how you can resolve them/what tests to ask for. Mine were so bad I couldn’t eat at work, couldn’t eat out in restaurants, felt sick all of the time. My gastro gave me months of PPIs which made everything worse. I’m slowly (and it’s early days) starting to feel better. After treatment I did an exclusion diet for a month, then added everything back in (except onion and garlic and beans for now). I probably need another round, but will try the intense probiotics first and see

2 weeks of food exclusion isn't enough. It can take weeks for your gut to settle down if you have a non-ige allergy. Also look at what you replaced foods with when you excluded them. If you replacing dairy with soya for example, the two proteins are similar so can cause similar reactions.

The fodmap exclusion and re introduction diet saved me. It’s not a fad but backed by proper research. The Monash university app has a diary function which is really useful. You pay five or six pounds but very much worth it as it guides you through the potential triggers and provides info on amounts etc when re introducing.

yes it is a faff but I was desparate with the incapacitating pain and it worked. I worked with a brilliant and empathetic dietician and am now eating normally and symptom free. I can give you her name if you like. PM me and I will send details, she does online consultations. Drop a note on here though as I generally only use the app which doesn’t have a message function.

Peppermint can make things worse for some. I found mebeverine available without prescription more effective as an anti spasmodic than buscopan.

ETA I did the exclusion phase for about two months.

I don’t think the i b s probiotics helped me at all.

All I could eat after a flare was clear meat soup. John Lusty’s tinned beef consomme available from online grocers was great as was borough bone broth. Very tasty abd nutritioys too.

Amitrytline nightly and hardly any vegetables. Protein rich diet works well. Nothing wholemeal or healthy like oats. No diet drinks or products with aspartame. A lot of trial and error. A couple of alcoholic drinks before dinner seems to relax my stomach.

Hope you get some relief from this, I know it is so draining.

ive found mebeverone tablets helpful

Joined to post this...

I have had IBS for over 25 yrs, also had the colonoscopies that came up clear, took control of researching it myself. It used to rule my life now I am very fit and its virtually never an issue, the trade off is i am very very disciplined. Here's exactly what I had to do...

Cut out all dairy, wheat, alcohol, coffee (not caffeine but coffee), small meals inly, no high fat food, high fibre but introduced very slowly, lots of water, low sugar, light exercise every day, then also vitamin mineral and omega supplements every single day (the IBS totally messed with absorbtion of nutrients so you have to supplement).

Then I started strength training and tummy massage as you have to physically help digestion and strengthening the muscles does that. Also if you take psyllium (small doses) or chia seeds it can help with bulking and thickening stools to make you more regular (though thats a balancing act as it depends on whether youre getting the diarrheah or the constipation).

All this took a few months ro really work because of the damage the IBS did to my gut and it takes a while for the pro amd prebiotoc balance etc to repair itself. So your 2 weeks of no dairy etc was no way long enough.

Yes its hard to be this disciplined but the plus side is Im really in control and get virtually no symptoms now and Im also about 2 dress sizes smaller than when I first started, plus I feel very healthy.

thank you for this info, I’ll take a look at him. So glad you’re starting to feel a bit better and hope it continues xx

Thank you!!! Yes I would love the name of your dietician please. I have never PMd anyone on here but will try to do it now xx

Thank you for all this info/advice. I am happy to be very disciplined if it helps me feel better! So glad you’re now doing well. Xx

@CanINapNow2 I have messaged you :)

I’ve had it for years, went to GP and she prescribed mebeverine hydrochloride - it’s an anti spasmodic drug. Bloody hell what a game changer. Literally life changing for me.

oh I’m so glad it’s helped you! I’ve got Mebeverine on my list of things to discuss with the doctor today.